Businesses use many strategies and mediums to market products and services, including:
Online marketing—Online marketing can include a wide variety of techniques such as buying online advertising space such as banner advertisements on third party websites, buying priority placement in Internet search results, directly selling products and services through the business's own website or websites of agents or affiliated companies; and using websites to obtain sales leads for conversion into sales via other channels.
Telemarketing—Telemarketing can involve an inbound call centre receiving enquiries about products and services from existing customers or potential new customers, whereas outbound call centres actively call customers or potential customers in an effort to sell products and services.
Mail marketing—This form of marketing can be direct, using targeted mailing campaigns or indirect leaflet drops or the like.
Traditional media advertising—Newspaper, television and radio advertising or product placements in media productions are common.
The ultimate goal of any of the above marketing techniques is to make sales, with the least wasted effort. Thus a great deal of effort goes into analysing marketing data and optimising the marketing process.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide improved marketing systems and methods, or at least provide a useful alternative.
Reference to any prior art in the specification is not, and should not be taken as, an acknowledgment or any form of suggestion that this prior art forms part of the common general knowledge in Australia or any other jurisdiction or that this prior art could reasonably be expected to be ascertained, understood and regarded as relevant by a person skilled in the art.